Printing of three-dimensional metal structures with a sacrificial support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017365484-A1
Application number	US-201615537885-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for 3D printing includes printing a first metallic material on a substrate as a support structure ( 48 ). A second metallic material, which is less anodic than the first metallic material, is printed on the substrate as a target structure ( 46 ), in contact with the support structure. The support structure is chemically removed from the target structure by applying a galvanic effect to selectively corrode the first metallic material.

First claim

1 . A method for 3D printing, comprising: printing a first metallic material on a substrate as a support structure;
printing a second metallic material, which is less anodic than the first metallic material, on the substrate as a target structure, in contact with the support structure; and chemically removing the support structure from the target structure by applying a galvanic effect to selectively corrode the first metallic material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first and second materials comprises a pure metal, and the other of the first and second materials comprises an alloy of the pure metal.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the pure metal makes up at least 90% of the alloy.

4 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first material is the pure metal, and the second material is the alloy.

5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second material is the pure metal, and the first material is the alloy.

6 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second materials are different alloys of the pure metal.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the first and second metallic materials comprises directing pulses of laser radiation onto first and second thin films, respectively, so as to induce laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of molten droplets of the first and second materials onto the substrate.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first and second metallic materials comprises a mixture of at least two component materials, and wherein directing the pulses of laser radiation comprises:
providing a transparent donor substrate on which multiple thin film layers are overlaid, comprising respective layers of each of the component materials; and irradiating the donor substrate with the pulses of laser radiation in order to induce ejection of molten droplets in which the component materials are mixed together.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , and comprising printing a third material over at least one of the first and second metallic materials, whereby the target structure comprises, after removing the support structure, the second metallic material and the third material.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the third material comprises a dielectric material.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second metallic material is printed over the first metallic material so that the target structure has a cavity containing the first metallic material, and wherein chemically removing the support structure comprises etching the first metallic material out of the cavity by the galvanic effect.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , and comprising printing cathodic etch-assist structures, which are less anodic than the first metallic material, embedded within the first metallic material in the cavity so as to promote the galvanic effect during the etching, and wherein the method comprises removing the etch-assist structures from the cavity after etching out the first metallic material.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the first and second metallic materials comprises printing interspersed particles of the first and second metallic materials, and wherein chemically removing the support structure comprises etching away the particles of the second metallic material by the galvanic effect so that the target structure remaining after removal of the support structure is porous.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein printing the interspersed particles comprises varying a relative density of the particles of the first metallic material over an area of the target structure, so that the second metallic material remaining after removal of the support structure has a porosity that varies over the area of the target structure.

15 . Fabrication apparatus, comprising:
a printing station, which is configured to print a first metallic material on a substrate as a support structure, and to print a second metallic material, which is less anodic than the first metallic material, on the substrate as a target structure, in contact with the support structure; and an etching station, which is configured to chemically remove the support structure from the target structure by applying a galvanic effect to selectively corrode the first metallic material.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein one of the first and second materials comprises a pure metal, and the other of the first and second materials comprises an alloy of the pure metal.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the pure metal makes up at least 90% of the alloy.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first material is the pure metal, and the second material is the alloy.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the second material is the pure metal, and the first material is the alloy.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the first and second materials are different alloys of the pure metal.

21 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the printing station is configured to print the first and second metallic materials by directing pulses of laser radiation onto first and second thin films, respectively, so as to induce laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of molten droplets of the first and second materials onto the substrate.

22 . The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first and second metallic materials comprises a mixture of at least two component materials, and wherein the printing station comprises a transparent donor substrate on which multiple thin film layers are overlaid, comprising respective layers of each of the component materials and is configured to irradiate the donor substrate with the pulses of laser radiation in order to induce ejection of molten droplets in which the component materials are mixed together.

23 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the printing station is configured to print a third material over at least one of the first and second metallic materials, whereby the target structure comprises, after removing the support structure, the second metallic material and the third material.

24 . The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the third material comprises a dielectric material.

25 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the printing station is configured to print the second metallic material over the first metallic material so that the target structure has a cavity containing the first metallic material, and wherein the etching station is configured to etch the first metallic material out of the cavity by the galvanic effect.

26 . The apparatus according to claim 25 , wherein the printing station is configured to print etch-assist structures, which are less anodic than the first metallic material, embedded within the first metallic material in the cavity so as to promote the galvanic effect during the etching, wherein the etch-assist structures are removed from the cavity after etching out the first metallic material.

27 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the printing station is configured to print interspersed particles of the first and second metallic materials, and wherein the etching station is configured to etch away the particles of the second metallic material by the galvanic e

Assignees

• Orbotech Ltd

Inventors

• Kotler Zvi
• Zenou Michael

Classifications

• H10P50/613

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H10P34/42

  with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing (laser cutting H10P54/20) · CPC title

• H10W70/098

  Applying pastes or inks, e.g. screen printing (H10W70/095 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C23C14/048 Primary

  using irradiation by energy or particles · CPC title